Gardening 101 Plants and Soil

Want beautiful soil like that? compost!

I love to grow things. I've never been sure if I have a green thumb or if I have only been good at it because of what my late father taught me. Dad came from a different style of living where gardening was a way of not only survival but life. It's just what they did. If I were to add it up I would say that my dad grew about five acres or more each year of different crops. We grew tomatoes of all kinds, silver queen, hickory king, peaches and cream, and several other types of corn. Along with that Dad grew sweet potatoes, red (new) potatoes, Kentucky runner green beans (they are very hardy), bell peppers, yellow squash, cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and the list goes on but those were the regulars. Oh, and the strawberries. The strawberries were great. There's just something unappealing and tasteless about the grocery store strawberries. It's just too far from being the same thing.

If you're wanting to start your own garden my biggest piece of advice would be to study up on the specific plants you want to grow. For example, early girl tomatoes and Roma tomatoes are not the same kind and are often used for different purposes. We grew both and I've found that people just really preferred to can with romas. Early girls are amazing on sandwiches. The type of cages you would use are completely different as well. We grew a certain kind of tomato for a long time. I'm not sure of the exact breeds but we called them all German tomatoes. They were heirloom, of that much I'm sure. Most were a dark blush pink, some were purple, and some were yellow with pink stripes coming out. I believe these were called Mr. Stripey. These tomatoes are awesome. They're big, the flavor can't be beat and they produce more meat than flesh, being good for just about anything except maybe juicing. These German tomatoes however, were completely different from romas or early girls. They. Were. Huge. You know those little wire tee pee style tomato cages you can get at any hardware store? Yeah, forget those. These tomatoes will outgrow those wimpy little cages fast and snap them into pieces or bend them over completely. We tried every thing, but they were just too heavy. One day dad got fed up with them and went to the local hardware store and bought some square fencing. We spent all day rolling and cutting the fence into souped up tomato cages. We never had to buy another again. However if you have limited room this is not the solution for you, these cages are large and need a lot of storage space.

I suppose if you were wanting to start your own garden I could give you a few basic ideas. The first thing you would need are tools and good soil. The seeds or plants are no good if the soil is no good. You can order a soil test kit online or you could do it the old fashioned way. Dig up some dirt and put it in a mason jar (a little less than half full), fill with water and shake it up. Shake it really well. Then walk away and let it settle for a while. You want your dirt to be in three pretty close to even layers when it settles. The three different layers are sand, clay, and the topsoil which is a lot like compost. You can test to see if your soil is acidic or alkaline using this method:

1. Scoop some soil into a container. Then, add a half-cup of vinegar. If the soil bubbles or fizzes, it's alkaline.
2. If there's no reaction, scoop a fresh soil sample into a second container. Add a half-cup of water and mix. Then, add a half-cup of baking soda. If the soil bubbles or fizzes the soil is highly acidic.
3. Amend your soil with wood ash or lime, if it's acidic. Amend your soil with sulfur or pine needles, if it's alkaline.

If you'd like a more professional and definite test contact your local agriculture department, ag extension office, or agriculture division of you nearest university, they will be able to assist you. I feel like this post has gone on long enough, I hope you guys enjoyed it!



Other Useful Links:

Fine Gardening- A post about using wood ash to improve the quality of your soil.
 Traditional Fools- steps on building your soil to improve gardening success.
 Scout's Stitches- stretching garden soil.
 Plant Care Today- How to improve garden soil.

Homemade Oxi Clean and Fabric Softener

The other day I posted my own recipe for the homemade laundry detergent. It's working great, by the way. That same night I got into a huge DIY phase where I had to make all kinds of stuff all at once. I made homemade fabric softener and homemade oxi clean. Both are working wonders. I based both the laundry detergent and fabric softener on other recipes I had seen. Most of the recipes vary from site to site, so I made my own based on the different reviews. The oxi clean I came up with all by myself. They've all worked so well.

Fabric Softener:
6 parts water
3 parts vinegar (I used rice)
2 parts conditioner (I used some VO5 I had on hand)

Mix (not shake) together and use a funnel to pour into a plastic/glass container. I used another left over laundry detergent bottle for this. Use a half a cup per load.


"Oxi-Clean":
2 c. washing powders
2 c. borax
1 1/2 TBS Dawn dishwashing liquid
2 tsp febreeze

I used a fork to mix with, whatever you use be sure to mix in every thing well. The dawn and febreeze will mix in very well. I use 1 TBS per load.

All Purpose Cleaner:
2 c. washing powders
2 c. borax
water

For this I just used a medium sauce pan and just filled it up with water. On medium heat stir until the borax and washing powders dissolve. Pour into container.

Bathroom Cleaner:
2 TBS Lysol Toilet bowl cleaner for hard water and rust/lime
water
empty spray bottle

Ok, so I totally cheated on this one. All I did was dillute this amazing toilet bowl cleaner. It's awesome. You guys have no idea, it works really well for the tub and kitchen sink. I also poured some of this stuff about an inch deep in a plastic cup and put our shower head in it. Then I poured some more (not much) in the inside of the shower head. Five minutes later, it was clean and had a beautiful stream- like brand new. I love this stuff. Try it. Go. Now.


That's all I've got for now. Please be aware that these cleaners I've made are not "sudsy" cleaners. When they start to work you're not going to see a whole bunch of soapy looking bubbles like you might be used to. That's ok. I'm not only making this to save money but to keep plastic out of the landfills. If you can, please reuse containers. Alot of containers only need to be washed out before they can be reused. WARNING: NEVER MIX BLEACH WITH AMMONIA IN ANY AMOUNT IT CREATES DEADLY FUMES
I save a lot of containers and reuse them, it's recycling. Repurpose things guys, it's not hard at all and it helps our enviroment, saves you money, and provides convenience. There's a lot  you can do with the empty laundry containers. A lot of things need to be put in air tight containers and sealed well, these are air tight and seal well. They would also be good for storing the benneficial "tea" from your compost, storing any thing, like let's say Miracle Grow, that comes in a box. There are a lot of art projects you can do with these at all. My two favorite would be making animal "heads" out of them for hanging on a kids wall and making little fairy houses out of them by cutting out a door and windows and then covering with rocks, marbles and moss. Here's a list of more stuff you can do with these bottles.

1. Handy scoops can be cut out of them, like small trowels
2. If you're diabetic this is a safe way to dispose of your used needles
3. Ice salt shaker (store your ice salt for your driveways in these to conveniently shake it out.
4. fill them with sand or water to make weights for weight training.
5. storing small things like nails, screws, buttons, etc.
6. sturdy templates for crafting.
7. store old rags
8. to store grocery bags for reuse
9. hand washing station in the garden
10. storage of any liquids

Always make sure you thoroughly wash these bottles out





Helpful Links:
15 Uses for Laundry Detergent Bottles

10 Uses for Laundry Detergent BottlesReusing Laundry Detergent Bottles
How to Re-use Laundry Detergent Bottles in the Garage
10 ways to Repurpose Laundry Detergent Bottles

The Prepared Mommy Part 2

I've talked about Bug Out Bags and I've talked about First Aid Kits, but I haven't yet talked about preparing your home for a disaster. You may not need to bug out and leave home, you may be able to stay. What do you do in those situations? There are a lot of ways to prepare your home which can, obviously, hold a lot more than your basic BOB.

• Maintenance! This is the most important thing you can do, long term, to assure the safety of your home. In a serious storm with high winds, no electricity, snow and worse it just won't do to have a leaky roof. If you don't own your own home, stay on top of your landlord about any repairs that need to be done!
• Weatherizing your home. Obviously this keeps out the cold, the rain and possibly unwanted pests. Keep a roll of window plastic stored somewhere. Window plastic is cheap, can be put up easily and will help insulate your home.
• Security! This is also very important. In hard times it's not terribly uncommon to have looters and a sudden surge in crime.
• Reinforcement plates can be put on doors and come in all finishes to match your pre-existing hardware.
• Deadbolts and latches also help to secure your doors, don't trust the chains- one swift kick could knock them out of the running.
• Window coverings may be necessary. Hang blankets (over the window plastic!) at the very least so that no one can see in. A lot of criminals won't want to break in if they don't know what they're breaking into. There could be 40 body builders with guns in there, or rabid dogs- they don't know if they can't see. They also can't see how much of your stuff they want to steal. Blankets over your windows will also help keep in any internal heat.
• Weapons. You never know what is going to happen. I'm not saying go out and buy so many guns that you look like Rambo, a baseball bat will do wonders in self protection. So will a crowbar, mace, and a tazer.
• Food and water! I hope I don't have to explain this one! You have to have food to survive. MRE's have a long shelf life, and Walmart sells emergency food kits at reasonable prices. You can build up an emergency food stockpile all by yourself over time. Trust me, you do not want to go out last minute to the grocery store to stock up- every one else will be doing that too and the shelves will be slim pickings. Don't forget to have a hand operated can opener! A lot of foods have a good shelf life and nutritional value like:
• peanut butter (creamy and chunky, or honey- for variety)
• canned fish (like mackarel, tuna, salmon)
• dried and canned beans
• rice (beans and rice together make a whole protein btw)
• dried and canned fruits
• raisins
• various canned soups and stews
• dry milk
• granola bars
• canned juices
• water water water- lots and lots and don't forget the water purification tablets as well.
• instant coffee
• candy and comfort foods (for the little ones as well!)
• Then you have your foods that may require cooking. Be sure to have a gas or otherwise operated stove that does not depend on any outside paid resource - remember, you may not have any utilities! I suggest camping stoves (like these) for this.
• Flour*
• Sugar*
• Salt*
• Cooking oil
• Pasta (don't forget the sauces!)
• yeast (if you're inclined to make bread)
• powdered eggs (yucky, but they'll do in an emergency)
• A generator. You may want to consider purchasing one, they'll definitely come in handy and make life in an emergency a lot more luxurious. However, think carefully about where you put yours as looters will take these quickly.
• Warmth, or some kind of heat source so that you're not done in from exposure. You could invest in a (or several) kerosene heaters (like these) or if you're not fond of the smell of kerosene (it sticks to everything and won't come out of some stuff) you can get several propane heaters (like these). Do not underestimate the dangers of exposure to the cold.
• Blankets. Heaters or no heaters, you should have a lot of blankets to keep you warm and comfortable.
• A potty. Have enough water stored up, or available, to flush your toilet. A bad smell is only going to make a hard situation harder. You may want to get a camping potty. Go to any camping retail store's website and check out the reviews first though- if it's not a good product, you'll find out fast.
• Paper products. Paper towels, toilet paper, tissues, and paper to write on will come in handy and provide a little bit of familiarity and comfort.
• Flashlights and batteries. Stock up.
• Toys, books and games. In times like this it's handy to have something around to distract you. Try to avoid battery operated toys or games as you may need the batteries for something else. Board games and puzzles geared toward the ages of your family members. Simple toys are great in this situation like Barbie's, trucks, and pretend play items. Keep a ball to roll back and forth to each other. Don't forget pet toys!
• Shelter. Well...kind of shelter. If you're in your own home you're already in shelter really but in colder situations you'll need try to gather in one room. Seal off the other doors by placing tightly rolled up towels at the bottom of the doors and maybe even sealing them off with painters tape (it comes off easily). Make sleeping mats in your room of choice close to your heater. Remember, the more rooms your heater has to heat the more fuel it uses. Staying in one room also increases your chances of remaining safe and being able to watch over the little ones. Also, make sure you situate your beds as far from the potty as possible.

The Prepared Mommy

All household's and cars should have an emergency first aid kit. I'm particularly fond of mine as it also goes with me if I ever need to grab my bug out bag (see previous post). Your own first aid kit should contain stuff that's targeted for you- especially when it comes to any prescribed meds. In mine I like to have this:

1. triangular bandages
2. rolled gauze
3. non-adhesive gauze patches
4. plastic tape
5. cloth tape
6. butterfly bandages
7. upholstery needle and thread (I have the plastic kind that resembles fishing line)
8. anti diarrhea meds
9. aspirin
10. green soap
11. hydrogen peroxide (I switch this out regularly with a new bottle)
12. sprain/ stretchy bandages
13. sanitary napkins/ pads (absorbent for large wounds)
14. QuikClot
15. thermometer
16. cotton swabs
17. tongue depressor
18. acetaminophen
19. sugar/glucose pills
20. small set of scissors
21. sling
22. moleskin
23. assorted band-aids and colored bandages
24. snake bite kit
25. space blanket
26. hand/ foot warmers
27. pain relieving spray (I use dermoplast)
28. aloe vera
29. anti fungal type creams
30. anti poison ivy spray
31. calamine lotion
32. tweezers
33. neosporin
34. instant cold packs
35. little ammonia sticks (smelling salts)
36. iodine
37. latex (or non) gloves
38. tube of zinc oxide
39. benadryl
40. bug bite/sting kit
41. suture clips
42. EDIT: I forgot to add, suckers, because every kid needs a lollipop after a boo boo
I keep all of this in a tiny tiny duffel, something like a makeup bag. I know it seems like a lot, but it's really not as almost all of these items are small and lightweight. The more pouches/ compartments on this type of bag, the better. You may also want to include a First Aid manual. It's also smart to keep each of these things in separate plastic bags to keep them safe from the elements. Of course, taking your basic first aid classes is always recommended. Learning how to properly bandage wounds and becoming CPR certified is always a plus and you never know when it may come in handy.
Again, any questions or comments, go ahead I'll respond!

EDIT: I just found a link you guys would definitely find useful for first aid kits and what another blogger keeps in hers Common Sense Homesteading go check it out and enjoy!!!

The Prepared Mommy Part 2

Zombie Apocolypse or Complete Anarchy? The Bug Out Bag

Due to the popularity of certain TV shows like AMC's The Walking Dead, and movies like the Resident Evil series or cult classics like Night of the Living Dead there's been a lot of talk about the possibility of a zombie apocalypse and a renewed interest in real survival skills. Do I think that zombie's will attack? I think that the likelihood is very slim. *However* I'm certainly not opposed to being prepared. I'm not saying that you should be building underground bunkers and squirreling food or telling you to take up a new interest in firearms or canning; I'm just simply saying that everyone should be prepared.

There are a lot of things that could put you in a survivalist type of situation besides raging horde of cannibalistic zombie's. Natural disasters like floods, hurricanes, earth quakes, and snow storms are all good examples. It could take three days or more for help to reach you in these situations. Can you take care of your family without today's modern day conveniences? Are you prepared? I personally think you should be. I am definitely an advocate of every person having a bug out bag (from here on out referred to as a BOB).

What is a Bug Out Bag?

BUG OUT BAG-

A bag,kit,or vest that a person carries on or near their person,in the event of a natural disaster,civil uprising,war,or any other event that dictates that you leave the area ASAP.These bags typically contain survival gear,food,water,weapons,etc.

and another definition: 

 BUG OUT BAG is basically a large survival kit that’s filled with everything you need to survive after a disaster. A Bug Out Bag allows you quickly grab what you need should you be forced to evacuate during a disaster.

I personally feel that a BOB can be put together rather cheaply and have been discussing the concept of making one with Brandon. While it may not be something we will ever, ever use I'd rather be safe than sorry. Of course, we also have to take into consideration that help finding us- in our small town within 72 hours is slim to none. I clearly remember a snow storm as a child blocking my entire family in for 11 days without electricity (and therefore phones) and the ability to travel. Luckily my grandmother still had a wood burning stove and we survived pretty easily. I think everyone should at least be prepared for a situation like that. Of course, there's always the possibility of having to leave your home- and for some that is more than likely a probability. I will discuss making your home more livable in these types of situations in another post. This one is dedicated to a BOB.

First of all you're going to need a large bag. Obviously, right? Wrong. You need *your* bag to fit *your* needs. It needs to be roomy to carry everything and sturdy so that it survives as well. Do you need lots of small organizational pockets? That's something else you need to consider. What about the type of bag? Duffel or backpack? Since I have three children and will most likely need to carry one, I'd prefer a backpack. You may prefer a duffel. Consider what you're preparing for and what you're bringing, the shape and the size of the contents will determine the shape and size of the bag. A bag can be bought in many many bright colors which you would need *if* you're looking to draw attention to yourself. Brandon and I would prefer a nice shade of cammo brown or green. (a nice shade? yeah...right) You may need to walk a long, long way so if one heavy item can be replaced with something lighter and more compact- do it.

Then there's your contents- that's the important part of the BOB. Try to have things in there that can be re purposed for something else.

Shelter: Ideally, I would like to have a tent for all of us. But, unfortunately, tents are bulky, time consuming and really only serve that purpose- though I do have several for recreational camping purposes. For my BOB I've chosen two large and one small tarpaulins- or tarps. We live in and near very densely wooded areas, it would be no problem to tie some cord from one tree to another and make a small shelter. The second tarp is for the floor, to help keep us dry. The third is for covering our firewood to help keep it dry. We chose black for these as it's well hidden and also conducts heat well which will be good for cold nights and seasons. Leaves can be layered underneath the floor for comfort and further insulation. If it's really cold, sticks can be positioned and layered with leaves over the outside of the tarp insulating the walls. Make sure the sides of a shelter like this are weighed down well.

Heat/cooking: A lot of people pack waterproof matches and lighters in their BOB's. I would prefer flint with a piece of steel or a magnesium starter. Make sure you dig a fire pit surrounded (stack 'em high) and lined with nearby stones. A collapsible grill type of cooking rack is cheap, lightweight and would be a serious luxury in these type of situations. Get one.

Water: Experts suggest, at the very least, 2 liters of water per day per person. There's Brandon, myself and 3 children to account for here. Do you see how heavy that would get? Instead we're going to pack water purification tablets (water is in no short supply here) and several empty two liter bottles or a clear water bag type of thing (less space) I saw somewhere (still trying to find it- will update when I do). I recommend the bleach type tablets as the iodine could cause serious health issues if consumed long term. Boiling water is the most safe and obvious solution though it may not be a fast option. I will also cover that later. We do still have to carry several two liters, as they can also be turned into small fish or crayfish traps. That's a project for another post though.

OK, so that's your shelter, heat, and water. Very important things. The most important, in my opinion. Now, class, let's move on...

Food: This isn't a subject I'm willing to spend that long typing about at this moment. So I'll keep it short and sweet. In home you can store much more than in a BOB- I'll go over that in the in home post. As for your BOB you can carry MRE's, high calorie snack type bars (both can be purchased online) OR you can make your own- recipes courtesy of a simple Google search. I am a strong believer that your BOB should only hold enough to last you a week. Past that, you should learn the skills to gather your own.

Useful Tools: Everyone's list here is going to differ. Again, what goes into your BOB is up to you- it has to be personalized to your needs. I'm going to try to stay brief on each extra I have chosen. The machete. Not only is this good for self defense but it will make cleaning an area for your base camp a hell of a lot easier. The hatchet. I'm still debating this one as I also intend to carry a compact saw and string saw (I have no idea what it's actually called but it's small and effective in cutting firewood.) It's basically a metal rope that you pull back and forth to saw through branches and such. The shovel. I don't mean a huge cumbersome shovel but a little folding shovel, useful in trapping, digging latrines, and many other uses. Trash bags these could really come in handy especially the clear ones. Several crank or solar powered flashlights have their obvious uses. A radio to contact help. Don't forget the batteries for it, it's useless with no power. Consider a solar powered battery charger. Blankets, think space blankets, wool or emergency are very important for obvious reasons, again. A change of clothes for each member of the group. A fishing kit, is imperative if you have access to fishing. Buy the high test fishing line. It's going to be more expensive but it's longer lasting. Buy an assortment of hooks and sinkers and plenty of them. This is not the area to skimp. You won't last long without food and fish are an easy source with bait readily available. The knife, try to find something sturdy and tactical type. It will never stop serving you. Rope is so important. It can be braided to become compact. Most people suggest 25 feet. I think more than that is necessary in this area for the shelter support, traps, clotheslines, tying down the shelter, fishing, climbing and so many more. Rat traps- yeah, you read that right. They're not going to last long as they're not made to survive long term exposure, but they may end up helping you immensely. Not to mention they're lightweight and small. I'm going to modify mine before putting them in my BOB by drilling a hole in one end to attach a rope in case I don't kill what I catch and lacquer the entire trap in hopes of preserving it a little longer. These can be baited (peanut butter will work well) in or around any area where you have seen or seen signs of squirrels, chipmunks and other small critters that are all edible. I also plan on carrying 4 conibear traps. I don't necassarily agree with them and I'm sad that they've killed people's pets but you know what? If it's a survivalist situation- I don't care and I'm going to feed my family. I am also fairly good at setting snares, a skill that should at least be looked into. A pot, for cooking, and boiling water. Aluminum foil for making a no fire oven for boiling water- which I will descibe in another post as I tend to build one later with Brandon. I'll post pics. Pepper Spray, not only for self defense from humans but wild animals don't like the feeling either. Bowls or plates, along with utensils for eating with. A necessity? No, but definitely something I'd like to have and would sorely miss. Another good tip, if you're not trying to hide from other human beings would be to attach jingle bells on your BOB to warn large predatory type animals that you're coming so that they (hopefully) move in the other direction. Other tools I would have include a weapon of some kind, binoculars, a wetstone for sharpening and candles but I think I've pretty well covered everything here I'll let you decide on your own weapons, if any. No, I did not forget the first aid kit. I have an extensive kit that would go with me that I'd like to describe in a later post as I think it deserves it's own special mention. I'm sure that I've forgotten something here.

Comments and suggestions are welcome. I've linked 3 websites at the bottom to direct anyone for more reading on the subject. If nothing it else, it's interesting reading!

http://survivalcache.com

http://offgridsurvival.com/

http://www.survivalistboards.com